No Regrets

No Regerts

I have seen more and more of these type of tattoos pop up. .Ugly ones with misspelled words and Regret that you can see forever. However, if we are honest regret and shame are one of the biggest areas that stop us from coming to Christ.

We are haunted by our past and believe the lies that we can’t be loved. That we deserve bad or abusive relationships. That Christ wouldn’t want us because we are too damaged. When we step out to do work for God Satan reminds us of how inferior we are. We don’t look the part. We don’t act like the part and we certainly don’t deserve the part.

The issue:

We look at Yesterday’s choices with today’s wisdom.

We see the mistake and regret the mistake because we walked through the mistake and are on the other side seeing clearly. So we get haunted. We replay it in our head every day until we distorted the act even worse than it originally is.

Regret will beat us to the point where we become in active and being to lose the faith it takes to take the steps God asks us to take in order to succeed.

To get past regret there are a few steps we have to take.

Acts 3:17 ESV

“And now, brothers, I know that you acted in ignorance, as did also your rulers.

Paul is talking to the Jews who crucified Christ. If ever there was something to be shame filled and full of regret it’s it would be that.

But notice-Paul points out their sin, but also acknowledges the ignorance they walked in.

Satan wants to beat you with your sin

God wants to heal you from it.

There are several deceptions we must reveal

Hiding our shame will remove it from us.

The biggest deception we can receive is that if we bury it-it never happened.

Acts 3:19 ESV

Repent therefore, and turn back, that your sins may be blotted out,

It’s a reminder of

Proverbs 28:13 ESV

Whoever conceals his transgressions will not prosper, but he who confesses and forsakes them will obtain mercy.

Truth is hiding your shame may keep it hidden from the world around you, but as we all know it will haunt us for the rest of our lives if kept buried.

2. We are without Hope

Paul didn’t leave anyone in a state of hopelessness he always showed them there is hope. In this case hope is through the admittance of your guilt.

Repentance is so much more than feeling sorry for your sin. Or your act. We can feel sorry while doing it over and over again.

True repentance isn’t just admitting we were wrong, but rather that God was right. And it must cause a change in behavior.

That’s why Paul says

Repent, AND TURN BACK—that your sins may be blotted out.

To remove the shame we must remove the action that causes us to be shameful.

Which is another lie we believe

We need to seek forgiveness, but we don’t need to seek change

If we do something before we know it’s stupid- it’s different than if we know it’s stupid and yet continue to do it.

Today’s wisdom is only as useful as our application of it. Because if we do this God promises us something

Acts 3:20 ESV

that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord, and that he may send the Christ appointed for you, Jesus,

A time of refreshing. Refreshing literally means

Relief

Relief from guilt, shame, and the heaviness that we have been carrying around. There is nothing better than that feeling when you finally put something heavy down. You are free from that which made your muscles tense. You can breathe again.

Paul was talking about national repentance, but the truth is that it works for the individual as well.

Acts 3:26 ESV

God, having raised up his servant, sent him to you first, to bless you by turning every one of you from your wickedness.”